Secret tunnels spreading like spider webs... Hamas tunnels resembling North Korean tunnels

Hidden for years using tunnels to store weapons and command facilities
Spreading like a spider web across Gaza Strip... Difficult to identify

As the death toll from the war between the Palestinian armed group Hamas and Israel surpasses 10,000, the Israeli military has announced plans to attack the secret tunnels that Hamas has constructed in the Gaza Strip.

On the 14th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, "While Hamas' military power cannot compare to Israel's, it possesses a unique asset in the form of secret tunnels."

Since taking control of the densely populated Gaza Strip, Hamas has used these secret tunnels for years to hide weapons, command facilities, and combatants. It is also speculated that around 150 Israeli hostages held by Hamas are located within these tunnels.

The tunnels reach depths of up to 35 meters and are equipped with railways and communication rooms. To avoid detection, entrances are located on the lowest floors of residential buildings such as houses, schools, and other public facilities. Over time, as electricity became available inside the tunnels, the facilities have become more sophisticated.

Experts believe that Hamas acquired tunnel construction technology from North Korea. North Korea has previously exported tunnel construction technology, equipment, and personnel to the Myanmar military and is known to have provided military support to Hamas over a long period.

Hamas operatives transporting weapons through a secret tunnel installed in Gaza Strip [Image source=Captured from X (formerly Twitter)]

The tunnel network, which Israel calls the "Gaza Metro," is difficult to gauge in scale. It is believed to spread like a spider web beneath the relatively small land area of the Gaza Strip.

In 2013, Israeli authorities responded to residents' reports of "strange noises" and investigated the Gaza Strip, discovering a secret tunnel leading near an Israeli kibbutz. The tunnel's roof and walls were made of concrete, measuring 1.6 km in length and 18 meters in depth.

In 2014, the Israeli military confirmed a network of about 30 tunnels built by Hamas, noting that their structure and layout closely resembled North Korean tunnels found in the demilitarized zone.

Israel announced that it destroyed over 100 km of secret tunnels in the Gaza Strip through bombings after the 2021 conflict. However, Hamas claims the tunnel network extends up to 500 km and that only 5% of it has been damaged.

Meanwhile, on the 13th, Israel instructed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to "move south within 24 hours," which is widely interpreted as a prelude to a large-scale ground invasion.

However, the Washington Post (WP) stated, "The Israeli military must engage in urban warfare against Hamas, which has spent years preparing tunnels and traps," adding, "Hamas, prepared for all scenarios, may have an advantage even in ground operations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.